How are you finding following the different brothers in the Donovan family?
The Donovan men are all I could have hoped for. I’ve never before written a series that featured brothers. In the Mastered series, I had two characters who featured in all of the books. In the Bonds series, the intriguing Julien Bonds was the person who provided the continuity to tie the books together.
Joyce: What inspires your book ideas?
Sierra: It’s exciting that almost any experience in my life can inspire a book. One time, I saw a music video that made a whole book come alive for me. The Donovan Dynasty was conceived while I was on a writing retreat in
The first time I “meet” one of my heroes on the page, I’m surprised.
Before I begin writing, I brainstorm, often for days. One thing I’m always sure of is that the hero will be a Dom, and to me that means he has certain qualities that help define who he is.
In May this year, Totally Bound secured our first international rights deal for Sierra Cartwright’s Crave, book one in the bestselling Bonds series.
This deal was brokered by IPR licence, and Tom Chalmers, IPR’s Managing Director has spoken to Publisher’s Weekly about the erotic revolution and Totally Bound’s position.
The Donovan Dynasty is a brand new series! So, tell us, who are the Donovans and what is their dynasty?
I’m so excited by the Donovans. You might know that I recently moved to Texas, and I’ve had a fantastic time learning about the state’s history. It’s populated with fascinating characters and families. To me, Texas is an amazing place, part of the untamed American West, but also part of the South, with the heat and humidity, along with genteel manners.
What can we expect from Command?
Oh, lots of fun, yummy sex and unexpected surprises. Since the love scenes and relationships in my books are often emotionally intense, I like to lighten up my stories with some humour. And when you’re done reading Command, I hope you’ll want a Hello, Molly for yourself!
Sierra Cartwright has won the LASR Book of the Year for In the Den! Congratulations Sierra!
Before you slip into those sky-high heels, it helps to get in the mood, it’s been said that a woman’s most powerful sex organ is her brain, and that makes perfect sense. We’re smart, sassy and adventurous.
We’re discerning and have confidence that we can express who we are as women, that’s why erotic romances are topping the bestseller lists.
Tell us about your new series, Bonds.
If I’ve ever had more fun writing a series of books, I don’t remember when.
The series started with a single idea. Most of my books have a piece of me in them. Something I see or something that happens makes me think, “What if?” The collar that’s pictured on the cover of Crave is a bit imposing. When I saw that particular collar in real life, all sorts of things ran through my head. I imagined the commitment and expectations that might go along with it, and how that might be a bit frightening to a heroine who sees it for the first time.
I adore powerful men. Whether they’re wearing jeans and a cowboy hat or a well-tailored suit, I am attracted to men who radiate confidence and are comfortable with who they are. It makes them both sexy and powerful.
I try to create complex heroes we can fall in love with. I give them traits I find sexy, commitment, respect, integrity, manners, and, most importantly, a sense of humor. And then I introduce him to a heroine who will test everything he thinks he knows. The woman he falls for has to be convinced of his intentions. Along the way, I end up smitten, too, even if the alpha male would be too much for me in real life.
Kennedy Aldrich is a character I find yummy…one I had great fun crafting.
Does a lot of research go into writing the BDSM scenes?
I take my work seriously, and I want to give my readers the experience they’re hoping for when they pick up one of my books. So yes, I do lots of research for my books. The best parts are the “hands-on” experiences. I don’t have to guess at my heroine’s feelings of trepidation or excitement. And I hope that adds an air of emotional intimacy between the reader and my writing.
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A divorce has left Mackenzie Farrell determined never to walk down the aisle again. She enjoys her life, and she’s passionate in her business pursuits.
Writers are often told to “write what you know.” The advice makes sense. When an author adds personal experience, the story can feel more authentic.
There’s a little bit of me in Mackenzie, the heroine of my latest book, Claim. Like her, I was a single woman who intended to stay that way. After my divorce, I invested tremendous time and energy in my career. I spent a lot of time with friends and family. I had boyfriends, and some of the relationships were quite serious. But for many years, I never met anyone who I was willing to give up single life for.
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Which of your fictional characters would you most like to have a drink with, and why?
I’d love to sit down with Julien Bonds. He’s extremely eccentric. Brilliant. Driven. Never satisfied. Impatient. And he loves to meddle in the lives of his friends.
He is a compilation of people I know and people I’d like to get to know. Insider secret, he is my humble and not-at-all accurate tribute to the genius that was Steve Jobs.
Three words I would use to describe myself:
• Adventurous. Actually, that's rather new for me! I've always wanted to live near the water. Every year, I spent a day or two in Galveston, Texas. Last year, I came down for a writing retreat. And I never went home! I found a cute little rental, signed a lease, and changed my life completely. It's the first time I've lived away from my friends and family!
What are your biggest cravings in life?
Where to begin…? I crave sleep, and I’ve been known to go to bed ridiculously early just so I can doze off and on for hours. And I have a confession. When I crave something, I can be single-minded in its pursuit. (I prefer that word to “obsessive.”) I love chocolate, and the richer, more decadent, the better. In the quest to sate my sweet-tooth, I spent years trying out recipes for flourless chocolate cake.
What can you tell us about Crave?
Where shall I begin? With the funny interchanges between four absolutely delicious men? The hot, hot sex scenes? The emotion as a couple works so hard to rebuild trust even as they push their relationship into a whole new dimension? Or maybe with the bond of love that has kept Reece and Sarah bound together over the years…?
Take a sneak peak at Crave in the latest issue of BTSe Magazine! Can you resist this novel?
Author Sierra Cartwright introduces us to her Mastered series. Book six, In the Den, is out today. Bring your handcuffs!
I hope you'll enjoy the behind the scenes peek inside the Den and that you'll return often to meet the heart-stopping Doms who I promise will make you blush…
I love that I’m able to infuse my writing with a flair of authenticity, though I’d never say that a writer has to be heavily into the lifestyle in order to write convincing, emotional, and hot, hot scenes.
I’ll let you in on a little secret, if you promise not to tell, a lot of the scenes in my books come from my fantasies…
Why do you think it is that writers, specifically of erotic fiction are spreading their stories out over trilogies and series of books?
I think that erotic romance fiction writers need some extra space to really connect and get as in-depth with the characters as our readers crave. It’s almost impossible to show a strong emotional connection between two people in a short story. In real life falling head over heels in love doesn’t happen overnight, sometimes it can take years to realise that you’re truly in love with someone, but the lust? That usually comes quickly. It’s easy to write a story about two people who just met and want to hook up…
What can you tell us about your new book On His Terms?
I think all intimate relationships can be a bit messy emotionally. It would be nice to think we always know exactly what we want and how to get it. In my fantasy world, I never question myself. And when I get what I want, I sit back and celebrate it…
The book is set in a secluded mountainous area, so why did you choose this as a place to have The Den?
When I’m at my home near Denver, I live in a fairly urban area. I can walk to a quaint historic district with shops and restaurants and nightlife. And there’s a bus stop right outside my window. And the local police station isn’t far away. It’s a vibrant area, and there’s always something happening. As a result many of my books have fairly urban settings…
Even Racier than EL James! Sierra Cartwright featured in the Daily Mail for her Mastered series and bestselling title, With This Collar.
Read the article and an excerpt from the book.
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